15 Best Anime Movies & Series on Amazon Prime

Anime is an interesting form of entertainment. They venture the places that are too difficult to reach, tell the stories that are otherwise too difficult to comprehend. The reason that more and more people are developing a tendency to watch anime is that they paint a completely different world with stories that aren’t repeated. From sci-fi to supernatural, from action to romance, anime explore every genre of storytelling, always with a new twist in store. Their path-breaking, revolutionary works shattered the cultural boundaries of the medium in a way the world had never seen before.

So, if you are planning to watch an anime with bunch of your friends, you don’t need to go to a theater. You can just invite them to you house and enjoy anime on TV or laptop. Anyway, this list consists of all kinds of anime: from love stories to coming-of-age stories to action thrillers. Again, here’s the list of some really good anime movies and TV series on Amazon Prime.

15. Land of the Lustrous (2017)

In a future set far, far away from the present time, immortality has been found. People called the Lustrous roam the lands. They are immortal and are the representation of the twenty-eight forms of gemstones. Their world is under constant attack from the Lunarians who capture the Lustrous because they are like gems. The Lunarians want to decorate their houses with them! The Lustrous learn to fight them but not all kinds of gems are useful. Phos is the youngest form of the Lustrous and is unable to fight because it is too brittle. But some job has to be found for this one, so they are sent on a literary errand, collecting history. On their quest, they come across another form of gems who live in isolation because they are poisonous to others. Suddenly, being a Phos doesn’t appear so bad.

14. Girl’s Last Tour (2017)

After an apocalypse of unknown nature obliterated the world as we know it, two girls were left behind. Now, they roam around looking for food and supplies to keep themselves alive while the ruin of the civilization haunts them. After spending a lot of time on their own, they soon meet other people who survived the apocalypse, along with a mysterious creature who has the ability to shapeshift, among other things. The girls project the image of two polar opposites working together to survive. While one of them has knowledge of machines and likes to read, the other knows her weapons and likes to eat.

13. Darker than Black (2008)

The world underwent a massive change when a spatial anomaly led to the opening of Heaven’s Gate and Hell’s Gate in South America and Tokyo, respectively. The result of these gates was a new form of humans, known as the Contractors, who exhibited supernatural abilities. As their powers grew, their ability to display emotions reduced and thus, the governments found a way to manipulate them into working as spies. This story focuses on one particular Chinese contractor who is working in Tokyo. However, he has his own personal motives.

12. Inuyashiki: Last Hero (2017)

A public park is hit with an explosion that causes the people in its vicinity to gain superhuman powers. A middle-aged man named Inuyashiki is one of those people. Bored with his life and not finding love in his family, he discovers a new purpose for himself after the powers emerge in him. He decides to make a difference in the world by helping and saving those in need of it. However, the complete reverse happens for the other guy who went through the same transformation as Inuyashiki. This person was a teenager who was overwhelmed by his newfound abilities and decided to help people by ridding them of their lives. He became a psychopath, murdering people just because he liked it and became one of the most wanted criminals in the world. Unaware of each other’s presence, the two follow their own paths, but soon realise that they were destined to meet each other.

11. Special A (2008)

When two fathers who love pro-wrestling introduce their kids to each other, a strong rivalry develops between their children. Hikari thought that she was best at what she does and so she challenged Kei. But, he turned out to be better than her, beating her at her own game. At that moment, Hikari decided to make herself better than Kei. While Kei was rich, Hikari’s father was a carpenter. Even then, Hikari got to be in the same elite school as Kei where both of them became the brightest student. But Kei was still number one, and Hikari, still on her quest to dethrone him. Their rivalry soon began to show some side-effects.

10. Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul (2017)

Whenever we talk about angels and demons, we consider them to be two forces on the opposite ends of the spectrum. In any battle, they stand against each other, never able to find peace. This is not the case in the magical world of Mistarcia. Here, humans, gods and demons live together in harmony. They even join forces when something horrific tries to invade them. One such force was Bahamut, a strong, winged demon beast. It was too powerful to be fought by one faction alone. So, the trio joined forces to defeat and imprison it. The key to its prison was split in half, one half being with the gods while the other being with the demons. With the defeat of Bahamut, peace prevailed on the lands. But it is quietest before the storm. And a storm is brewing for the return of Bahamut. A war will be waged again, but this time will the gods and demons be able to keep their differences aside and fight side by side again? Or will Bahamut be released to wreak havoc on Mistarcia?

9. Bakemonogatari (2010)

When Koyomi Araragi was attacked and turned into a vampire, the high school student thought that his life was over. But he was taken in by a strange man who lived in an abandoned building, away from the eyes of the world. This man treated Koyomi and turned him back into a human. Well, almost. A few traits of vampirism remain in Koyomi, but it is nothing he can’t handle. However, he, soon, realizes that he is not the only one with odd problems. When Hitagi, his shy classmate, falls down the stairs and into his arms, he discovers that she is weightless. This doesn’t make sense to him and he befriends Hitagi and helps her in solving her problem by taking her to the same man who cured his problem. After Hitagi, he notices other girls who suffer from odd problems. He becomes friends with them, trying to understand what it is that they are going through while handling his own problems with the guidance of the strange man.

8. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (2016)

This anime series is for the people who like to watch movies and TV shows featuring zombies. For the fans of ‘The Walking Dead’, here is another series that is set in a world overrun by zombies. While the Industrial Revolution was transforming the world by enhancing the use of machinery to boost the production, there was another thing that crept alongside this development. A mysterious virus appeared during this time and rapidly infected people. The people who became its victim turned into ‘kabane’- the aggressive zombies. No weapons used by the soldiers seemed effective against this new danger. Because there was no way to fight back, the virus quickly took over the world. The remaining people fortified themselves on an island where a young engineer designed weapons to fight the kabane. He soon found out their effectiveness when the kabane found a way into the fortress. The engineer was infected in the process but due to his resistance to the virus, he turned into a kabaneri- a hybrid of human and kabane.

7. RWBY (2013- present)

While anime might have been conceived in the East, its popularity has spread all the way to the West. Anime styled series is being made in America, too. And ‘RWBY’ is a shining example of that. Out of all the dangers that humanity had ever faced, the Creatures of Grimm proved to be the most terrifying one. In a battle against these dark, malevolent creatures, humans discovered a new form of power- Dust. This element was not only useful in fighting back but also helped in enhancing the powers and hidden abilities of people. Special schools were set up where the children were trained to become Huntsmen and Huntresses to fight the Grimm Creatures. One such group of Huntresses is RWBY. It consists of four girls, each of whom has a different power, weapon and fighting style. While they are still in training, they show impeccable abilities which they soon get to display when a new sort of threat emerges in the kingdom. Dust is being stolen by a group of criminals who want to use it for their own good. In addition to this, other factions are also creating problems.

6. Robotech (1985)

This American animated series was inspired by three different Japanese anime, combining their ideas to make a complex storyline that spanned over three seasons. One of its inspiration was ‘Super Dimension Fortress Macross’, another anime series to feature on the list. The other two series are ‘Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross’ and ‘Genesis Climber MOSPEADA’. If interested, you could start by watching these three series before you get your hands on ‘Robotech’. However, it is not absolutely necessary. The story of ‘Robotech’ starts when an alien spaceship crashes in the Pacific Ocean and humans become aware of alien technology. Unbeknownst to them, an alien species is approaching the Earth to get hold of this tech. This results in a war between humans and aliens. This culminated over the seasons where one revelation after another makes the humans aware of what actually is going on in the Alien-verse.

5. Madoka Magica (2011)

Set in a fictional town in Japan, this anime series tells the story of a middle school girl named Madoka who gets an offer from a magical creature to receive magical powers in exchange of a few responsibilities and sacrifices. The story follows the girl’s journey and her struggle to decide whether she should take this offer or not. As the story unfolds, we become familiar to the world of magic. Several girls appear to have magical abilities who become an example for Madoka to weigh her pros and cons before she can decide for herself. She also discovers the origins of the witches who are evil creatures hunted by the magic girls. Things become even more complicated and making a choice becomes more difficult for Madoka.

4. Elfen Lied (2005)

Mutation is a constant process in evolution and humans are not oblivious of it in the world of ‘Elfen Lied’. It is set in a place called Kamakura where a new mutated species has emerged. This species has horns protruding from its head and has the ability to move objects by its invisible arms. This species shows violent tendencies towards humans and can easily kill them too. However, the reason for their violence is unattributed for, whether it’s because of something that the mutation imparted in their DNA, or was it because the humans had been experimenting on them for so long. The interaction of this species can result in humans giving birth to the children with this kind of mutation. One such child was Lucy. She was held in a secret facility and experimented on, but she found her way out and was injured in the process while considerably injuring others as well. As the military teams are sent out to recapture her, she finds refuge in the home of two brothers.

3. Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1983)

The story of this anime starts in 1999 when an alien spacecraft crashes on Earth. For 10 years the military studies the alien technology trying to reverse engineer it, so that they can build their own spacecraft and weapons of this advanced technology. After they succeed at it, a launch ceremony is conducted in which a young civilian pilot comes to examine the Macross, the name given to the newly engineered spacecraft. However, at that time, some aliens enter the solar system and recognize the spaceship from 1999. Turns out, it was the ship of their enemies and because it is on Earth now, the aliens believe that humans are their enemies. As they approach the Earth, the spaceship, too, recognizes them and fires on them, surpassing the commands of the humans operating it. This leads to a war between humans and aliens.

2. Made in Abyss (2017)

The civilization as we know it was lost a long time ago in the world of ‘Made in Abyss’. An island on the sea of Beoluska harbours a town that is situated on the circumference of an abyss that goes deep inside the heart of the Earth. Though, no one knows how deep it goes because only a handful have ever gone in there and returned to tell the tale. The Abyss is the place that is home to the remnants of a civilization long gone. Apart from the artefacts, it is also home to a mysterious and dangerous disease that takes over anyone who dares to go any deeper into it. Cave Raiders is a name given to the people who dare to go into the Abyss to retrieve artefacts from there. Riko’s mother was one of those raiders who went in too deep and never returned. But, one day, when materials sent by her mother are retrieved, a message comes for her. Now, Riko has to enter the Abyss for her mother, knowing that she might never come back either.

1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2010)

In a small village, in the country of Amestris, live two brothers who are raised by their mother. Their father, who was a talented alchemist, left the family when they were quite young. The brothers knew only the love of their mother, so when she died of an illness, they were heartbroken. Having inherited the talent for alchemy from their father, who they know next to nothing about, they trained under Izumi Curtis to enhance their knowledge. After travelling the world with their teacher, they returned home to bring their mother back from the dead. But, tinkering with the laws of nature is never a good idea and the brothers had to pay the price for it. One of them was completely obliterated while the other lost his limbs. Now, they decide to leave their home behind and become government sanctioned alchemists and look for the legendary Philosopher’s stone. Soon, they discover that they are not the only ones looking for the stone and that the government is not telling them everything, either. Also, the past catches up to them when they discover secrets about their father.

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